Voyage for the Academy
by NeverHeardOfFanFicUntilNow
Summary: Treasure Planet: The Sequel. Jim is finally starting his future. He sets out on the long-awaited journey to the Interstellar Academy, expecting to have the time of his life. But when things go horribly wrong, it is now up to Jim and Jim alone to fix them.
1. Sympathy

Jim was spacesick. He'd never, not even on the journey to... _that__place_ been spacesick. He swore, if he ever got it again, he would find a blackhole and jump; it was an absolutely, horrifyingly, crappy monstrosity of a feeling. But then again, maybe it was just nerves.

He was completely terrified, he admitted it. He knew it was a huge honour and an amazing opportunity and stuff like that, but man, it was really hard leaving home that morning. His mom had gone through his bag about a hundred times before she was going to let him go, and even then, she hugged him for a bit longer than he would've liked. Well, Jim didn't mind, but there were a lot of people at the Spceport, and some of the recruits were already on the ship to go to the Academy. He really wanted to tell her what he had before - he'd make her proud - but, well, it seemed kind of out of place. So he gave her a quick smile and boarded the ship without a glance back. It was a lot harder than he'd thought it would be.

His thoughts were interrupted as he felt his stomach convulse, and he vomited over the side, into the grey-blue void. Coughing and hacking he came back up, and looked around to see if anyone had seen him. This was completely humiliating.

Most of the Academy recruits were busy over on the other side of the deck, doing whatever the hell Academy boys do in their spare time. Jim scoured the place and didn't see anyone around, so he figured he was safe. At least until the next bout came. God, this was torture.

He flopped down onto a barrel pushed against the deck rail and rubbed his eyes. This was not exactly the way he'd picture beginning his future. In fact, this was nothing like the way he'd pictured beginning his future. He'd expected to make that journey to the Academy in no time. He was going to walk in, and probably some of the Academy boys were going to judge him, because he wasn't raised with the same stuff they were, but, man, when they saw his sailing, their jaws would hit the floor. There they were, thinking they were the best of the best, and then he walked in and BAM! They wouldn't know what hit them. He would rattle the stars.

But no, instead he was sitting by the side, regularily emptying his stomach into the galaxy. Just the kind of brave first impression he'd hoped to make.

His stomach clenched again, and Jim tried to fight it, but eventually it came up anyway, so he leaned over the side and waited. When it was over, he sat back down on his barrel again, and anticipated the next wave. So far, Jim hated his enrollment at the Interstellar Academy.

It wasn't normal for Donna to notice anyone around her - especially not a boy. It wasn't like _that_, she told herself. The boy was spacesick. It wasn't like she was noticing his looks - in fact, the exact opposite. She was watching him to make sure he didn't fall off the ship every time he hurled over the side. She rolled her eyes - some spacer he was going to be if he couldn't even keep his lunch down on a boat.

"Spacers!" The Captain called from the quarterdeck. "Assemble!"

Donna ran up to the captain, hoping to get his attention before the Academy boys came around. "Uncle Rorey, there's a lad spacesick long the portside. Could I take him down away from the others?"

Her uncle, who was also the captain, looked down at her. "Spacesick? Which one?" He had never really been one of discretion, so when she pointed meekly to the sick boy, he nodded vigorously and shouted, "Hey! You there, looking green-faced! Donna here'll fix ya right up, and then we expect you to be ready for action! This be not an Academy for weaklings!"

The boy's head snapped up and looked over at the crowd of people by the quarterdeck. The boys that had gathered laughed and jeered and pointed. Looking completely mortified, he stood up, grabbed his bag, and wandered over to join the mob. He dropped his shoulders and lifted his chin, trying his best to look unscathed, but failing miserably to Donna's keen eye. Uncle Rorey shook his head and turned to address the Academy boys.

Donna leaped out of the shadows beside him. "You won't do them no good if you're going to be sick on them," she said quietly, grabbing his arm. The boy followed her with almost no resistance down into the galley, where she sat him on the floor and handed him a bowl. "If you feel the need, use it."

The boy stared up at her defiantly. "I'm not weak," he said, pushing the bowl away. Donna simply smirked and hopped up onto the counter. She watched the boy; It wouldn't be long. He realized what she was waiting for and set his face with determination. They stared each other down - Donna with amusement, the boy defending his pride, neither wanting to be the first to break the unspoken challenge.

And Donna saw when it came. The boy's eyes flashed and his stomach convulsed. Her smirk morphed into a full-blown smile then, and she leaned back on her arms, just waiting for him to give up and reach for the bowl. The boy linked his hands behind his head and leaned against the cupboard, shrugging casually. Still, Donna could see his clenched jaw and straining neck muscles. When a faint sweat appeared on his brow, she decided it was time to raise the stakes.

"If you hurl, it's you who's mopping it up." She began to sway her crossed legs - this was too much fun.

It was a losing bet and the boy knew it. Nevertheless, he shrugged again, despite the obvious nausea it caused. He ground his teeth together so hard Donna was surprised his jaw didn't break, but he still maintained his pose. He was strong, she admitted, he was doing a good job of fighting it, but eventually, your body wins. Always. It was just a matter of time.

He coughed violently, and a moment later he was on all fours over the bowl, thoroughly spewing out whatever his stomach had left, considering he had already emptied it several times before. When he came back up, wiping his lips on his sleeve, Donna was waiting with a glass of water.

"Just rinse your mouth," she instructed, the smirk suddenly hiding somewhere she couldn't find it. "I'll get another one for you to drink."

He looked up at her, looking for traces of sarcasm or mockery, and upon finding none, grudgingly took the mug. "Thanks," he muttered. He slurped some water and then spat it into the bowl.

Donna took the empty glass and handed him another. "How come you're going to the Academy if you get spacesick?" she asked. She took the cup and tossed it into the small-but-growing pile of dishes beside the basin. When she turned back around, the boy had risen and was giving her a fierce glare. "Hey, I didn't mean no offence," she continued. She looked down at the bowl she would eventually have to pick up in disgust. "Just a question, that's all."

His answer was so quiet Donna almost didn't hear it. "I don't get spacesick."

She laughed and put her hands on her hips. "What d'ya call this, then?"

He looked away and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Nothing. A bug. I dunno." He turned to go back upstairs, but Donna stopped him dead.

"You're hiding something."

He turned around slowly, a bitter smile on his face. "So what if I am? Doesn't matter to you."

She growled somewhere in the back of her throat, a sound she never knew she could make. It was a little disturbing, and a little hilarious. "The Academy doesn't take liars, bigshot, so whatever you got up you're sleeve better come out right now."

His smile grew. "Look, don't try to be tough. It doesn't suit you."

Donna folded her arms across her chest. "This is why I don't like Academy boys. They act like they own the universe. And then, when someone comes along who questions it, they brush them off. It's guys like _you_who make me angry." Donna sighed. This was the downside to life at sea - the annoying jerks you had to deal with.

The boy looked surprised. "Uh, sorry, I... I'm not like that, I don't..." He trailed off.

Donna huffed and reached for the bowl. "Ok, sure."

"Really." He bent down and picked up the bowl before she could reach it, then asked, "Where's this go?"

She stared at him. What was he trying to pull? "Up on deck and over the side." She somehow doubted he would be willing to walk up onto the deck with a bowl of his own puke and dump it into the universe, but hey, it was worth a shot.

He looked up as if to say, "Why me?" but still turned and marched up the stairs. Donna waited by the basin, waiting to see if he would do as promised. She found herself hoping he would, and mentally shook herself. First the whole noticing thing, and now this. She rolled her eyes.

Moments later, she heard footsteps on the stairs, and she looked over to see the boy jump down the entire flight, empty bowl in hand. "There you go, miss... Donna?"

She scowled at him. "Donna's fine. And, um, thanks. I guess." She took the bowl and threw it into the dish pile. She felt bad for whoever had to wash them later... but, oh wait, it would probably be her.

"No problem. And I'm Jim, if you were wondering, or-"

She smiled. "I wasn't."

He coughed. "Well, um, I'm gonna go see what I'm, uh, supposed to be doing. Bye."

She stopped him again. "You didn't tell me whatever you're hiding."

He sighed. "You're not gonna let this go, are you?"

She shrugged. "Oh, I'm not stopping you. I'm just trying to figure out whether you're a total ass or not."

He gave a small shrug. "Well, I'll tell you. Just, not now." He gave her a sly smile over his shoulder, and then jogged up the stairs, out to join the Academy boys.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

Jim tried to join the crowd invisibly, but that failed almost immediately. The boy in front of him turned and smiled. "How ya doing back there?"

Jim glared at him. "Fine."

The boy shrugged and faced forward again. He elbowed his friend and jerked his head back, like he was trying to gesture to Jim without being obvious. The friend looked behind him and sneered. Jim rolled his eyes; _Go__on,__be__a__little__more__obvious.__I__dare__you_.

"Think of this journey as your initiation," the captain was saying. "I expect you each to fulfill your duty as you would on a real voyage. I will be observing your strengths and weaknesses, and once we reach the Interstellar Academy, you will learn whatever I've noticed you don't... excel at," he said, smiling brightly.

Almost on cue, the pack broke up. Jim stood there as boys moved around him, trying to decide what he could do that would receive the least amount of attention. He acted too late, however - the Captain spotted him and beckoned him up to the quarterdeck. Jim reluctantly ran up the stairs to meet him.

"Sir," he said in greeting, dropping his bag by his feet. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, only to pull them back out again when he remembered Amelia's frequent lectures on how posture made all the difference in sailing. Jim didn't see how, but he didn't dare argue with her, especially not with Delbert hovering at her side, giving him the evil eye every time he spoke.

"Your insides still a-swayin' lad?" he asked, grabbing Jim's shoulder and giving him a small shake. Which, he thought, wouldn't have helped him if he _were_still sick.

He looked up at the captain. The man (or half-man, seeing as he seemed to be a mixture of species) seemed only to be showing concern, but this was definitely going on Jim's report. He could see it already: Hawkins, James Pleiades. Would show promise, however, spacesick on maiden voyage. Handle with care. Jim grit his teeth and answered, "No, sir."

The captain smiled merrily and began vigorously shaking Jim's hand. "Glad to hear it, son. Donna's just got a magic touch. Why, just last year she nursed a baby Pygmy Rex back to health. The poor thing went through a full-blown sun storm before he washed up on shore. She was up half the night looking after 'im."

Jim smiled at the thought of the girl he'd met in the galley taking care of a Pygmy Rex. They were small and delicate creatures that Jim just couldn't match up with her. He'd be sure to mention this to her when he saw her again. If he saw her again.

The captain started speaking again. "Now, you just take care now. I'll send Donna to check on you later."

Jim turned and walked away before he said something he would regret. What was with _everyone_ assuming he was a wimp? It wasn't like he had a handicap. He was just spacesick. Which, he realized, _was_ a handicap on a ship. _Oh,__yay._

A tall, scrawny boy approached him. "Hey, you're looking a little green around the gills there. Wanna bucket?" He laughed (a sound that greatly resembled a donkey, Jim noticed) and looked around to see how many of the other boys were watching. Apparently, many; A small crowd began to form.

"Shuttup," Jim replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets again. He stuck out his chin, a gesture Silver had told him made him look tougher. Since then, it was his default move.

The boy put up his hands. "Hey, I didn't mean anything by it. Just figured I'd lend a hand to our less able out here." He smirked and listened to the snickers of the boys around them, and then actually stuck out a hand.

Jim drew his lip up in anger. "Thanks but no thanks, Butterfingers," he replied.

The boy narrowed his eyes. "Take the help while you can, Greenie."

Jim crossed his arms and stuck his chin out farther, which he hoped didn't make him look like a giraffe. The boy shrugged and turned away, pushing through the crowd as he strode away. "You'll regret it," he called over his shoulder.

"Not as much as you," Jim replied. Then, noticing the stares of all the other boys, he turned and hopped into the shrouds. He waited there, feeling all the pairs of eyes on him, and slowly but surely heard the crowd disperse. He exhaled slowly. It wasn't looking good so far.

"Hi," Jim heard from beside him. He looked down to see a small boy, who appeared to be no more than ten or eleven, leaned against the rail below him. Jim grunted in reply.

"I'm Wren," the boy said, inching closer to the rigging.

"Jim," he answered, not bothering to take his eyes off the reddish-orange sky. He wondered how far they'd sailed that day, and how far away the Academy was. Hopefully, it was far enough away that he would have his chance to prove himself, but close enough that nothing else could go wrong. Not that anything would, he told himself, but-

"Nice to meet you Jim," Wren continued, daringly putting one hand on the rope. "Were you really spacesick back there?"

Jim rolled his eyes and said sarcastically, "No, I was faking for sympathy."

"Really? 'Cause it worked on that girl-" Then he picked up the sarcasm. "Oh, right. Well, hope you get better."

"I'm better right now," Jim muttered.

Wren nodded. "Right... Just so you know, I think those guys are all idiots. They already called me out on being so small."

Jim looked down at him. "Small or young?"

He looked hurt. "Small. I'm sixteen."

Jim tried very, very hard to hide his surprise, but he was pretty sure he failed miserably. "Oh. Well, yeah, um ... I guess we're the odd ones out."

Wren nodded and hopped into the shrouds. He hopped back down again when Jim shot him a fierce glare and stared at his hands in embarrassment.

Suddenly they heard the Captain yell, "Alright, gather 'round, spacers!" Jim turned to see the Captain standing by the mast, a long list in hand. He slipped out of the rigging and wandered over to him.

"This here be your cabin numbers. Each night I expect you all in your cabins by ten hour _sharp_, unless you have watch. There will be no exceptions, am I understood?" They all nodded. "Alright. Amesby, Jack and Arnold, Damien, cabin one!"

"Wait, we have roommates?" someone yelled from the back.

The Captain's head shot up. "Yes, sir, and there will be no complaints on the matter!" They all murmured grudging consent. He continued down the list. "Azley, Timothy and Badon, Clark, cabin two!"

He continued yelling out names and cabin numbers. Jim completely zoned out, thinking about nothing in particular, until he heard, "Hawkins, James and Hornferth, Zackary, cabin 25!"

He threw his bag over his shoulder and looked around to see who Zackary was. A blond boy, about his height, came through the crowd and headed towards the stairs. Jim followed him, watching to see if there was any obvious problem with him. He didn't notice anything noticeable as they walked down that stairs and through the hall. The boy turned into cabin 25, Jim right behind him. After he'd thrown his bag on the bed, he turned and greeted Jim. "I'm Zack. You're James. Introductions managed." He flopped down onto the bed and put his arms behind his head.

Jim tossed his bag onto the top bunk of the only bed in the room. "Jim, actually." He wasn't sure if he liked Zack or not yet. He might've been a straightforward kind of guy, or he might've not wanted to talk to Greenie, as Butterfingers had so eloquently named him.

Zack opened his eyes and gave Jim a once-over. "Jim, then."

Jim nodded and looked around the room. It wasn't large, but it was better than the quarters on his last voyage. There was one bunk bed in the room, a desk in the corner, and a porthole on the wall opposite the door. Jim figured it could use some mess, but other than that, it suited him just fine.

"You're gonna get this a lot, so you'd better get used to it now," Zack said suddenly. "How come you're here if you get spacesick?"

Jim grit his teeth. "Look, that doesn't-"

"I'm just asking," Zack cut in, "I'm not trying to get you angry. It just doesn't make sense for someone to be here if they can't-"

"I dunno," Jim answered. "That's a one-time thing. Never had it before, never will again. Happy?"

Zack nodded. "Yeah."

They sat in awkward silence for a while. Just as Jim was about to go out exploring, there was a knock on the door.

"Cabin 25, Hawkins, James and Hornferth, Zackary?" The Captain's voice boomed from the hallway.

"Yes, sir," Jim and Zack said in unison. They looked at each other, and Zack flashed a sly grin. Then he resumed looking like he was sleeping.

"Alright, that's - oh wait now. James, you doing okay?"

Jim rolled his eyes and ignored Zack's snort of laughter. "Yes, sir."

"Good, good. Donna'll be right in to check on you."

"Sir, that's really not..." Jim trailed off as he heard the captain's feet trod down the hallway. He leaned against the wall and slid down until he was sitting. "This is gonna brand me for life," he muttered.

"Oh yes it is," Zack said, even though Jim hadn't really said it to him. They sat in silence again, that was once more interrupted by a knock at the door.

"It's Donna," a voice said from the other side of the door. "Open up."

Jim exhaled and stood up slowly, dreading the thought of seeing the girl again. He stumbled over to the door, opened it, and leaned casually against the frame. With any luck, she'd see he was fine and leave.

Of course she didn't. She pushed past him and dumped her armful of stuff on the desk. "Doctor's here," Zack shouted to no one in particular.

Donna whipped around, a kitchen knife poised in her hand. "Watch it."

Zack eyed the knife warily and backed off, which Jim thought was the best choice. From what he'd seen of Donna, he wouldn't test her abilities with a blade.

"Donna, honestly, I'm _fine,_" he said. This was _really_embarrassing.

She sighed in exasperation and set the knife back down on the desk. "I know you're fine. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm down here on orders." She turned and dug through the pile until she found what she was looking for.

Jim rolled his eyes. "Fine. But make it fast."

"Don't worry, I'll leave you and your roomie plenty of alone time," she answered. He could hear the smirk in her voice even if her back was turned.

Zack scowled and piped up, "Name's Zack."

"Don't care," Donna sang over her shoulder.

Jim grinned. "She does that to everybody," he mouthed at Zack.

Donna pulled out the desk chair and kicked it over to Jim. "Sit," she instructed. He didn't. When she noticed, she grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him down. When she turned away again, Jim made the ugliest face he could at her back.

Donna tossed a purp over her shoulder, which Jim caught with one hand. "Eat it."

Jim took a bite out of the purp. "Why?"

Donna faced him, a mug in her hand. "Because this tastes disgusting."

He took the mug from her and sniffed it. He coughed as the horrible smell reached his nose and pulled his head back. "And... I'm taking this _why_?"

Donna smiled. "It's a stomach tonic. Nothing special, but it helps spacesickness."

"For the last time, I'm not-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, just drink the stupid thing," Donna interjected.

Jim stared down into the brown murk. He could see chopped-up bits of purp, and some gross vegetables his mom used to make him eat. He even thought he saw a zorellian jelly worm or two floating around, but he pretended he hadn't. He smelled it again. "Smells like Scroop's feet," he muttered.

Donna stared at him like he was crazy. "What?"

Jim chuckled. "Nothing. Just a guy who used to bug me." Jim laughed inwardly at his own joke. Bug. Ha-ha. Then he remembered that he had killed Scroop with his own hand and became a little more somber.

Donna rolled her eyes. "Drink, so I can leave."

"Alright, alright, I'm going," Jim said, stalling for time. He _really_ didn't want to put the liquid anywhere near his mouth; one sip and he might start puking again. Gathering up his courage, Jim raised the cup to his lips and threw his head back. Donna fell to the ground laughing at the expression on his face. He swallowed the absolutely vile concoction with difficulty, and then immediately chowed down on the purp. "I swear, you made it that bad on purpose," Jim said hoarsely, leaning against the desk.

Donna stood and fought for control over her laughter. "Maybe I did."

Jim narrowed his eyes, but then smiled. "Out. Now."

Donna stepped forward. "Lemme get my stuff and I'll leave you in peace."

"Hallelujah!" Zack shouted from the bed. Donna shot him a death stare.

Jim jumped onto the top bunk and watched her gather the equipment. She seemed to have brought a miniature kitchen with her - mugs, knives, spoons, buckets (buckets?), as well as a few of the ingredients he'd spotted in the tonic. Which, he was dismayed to say, did in fact include zorellian jelly worms. His stomach gurgled in protest. When she'd organized everything into a relatively neat pile, Jim's cabin boy/running-an-inn instincts kicked in and he hopped down beside her. "Want help?"

Donna glared at him. "No."

Jim picked up her stack of dishes. "Too bad. My mom runs an inn."

She shook her head in exasperation, then picked up the remaining things to return to the galley. "Bye, Zack," Donna called over her shoulder as she pulled the door closed.

"So you _do_ know my name!" they heard through the wall. Donna bit her lip to keep from smiling.

They started walking towards the galley. They didn't say one word, mainly because Jim was too busy taking in the beauty of the ship. It wasn't something he would normally notice, really, but this boat was just ... whoa. The hallways were actually _decorated_, a far cry from the R.L.S. Legacy's wooden underside. And - the hallways had carpets, and they weren't dirty. The walls were neat, and the corridors were lit. It was... luxury.

Donna hung a sharp left, Jim turning quickly behind her. They pushed through a door, and Jim was surprised to find that the room wasn't empty. Four men sat around a table, a deck of cards divided between them. "Evening, sirs," Donna greeted in monotone.

The men looked up, and Jim recognized one as the captain. "Donna! Back already? And James! How you farin'?"

Donna looked over and smirked at Jim, and he grunted at her in response. "Fine, sir," he called. He walked around them and set his dishes on the counter.

The captain stood and said to Jim, "Lad, this be my colleagues: Mr. Yono, Mr. Wentworth, and Hardy." He gestured vaguely to the others, and Jim nodded in greeting to all of them.

The three men stood. The one in the bright red coat and official cap said, "Hello, son, I'm Mr. Yono, Captain Rorey's first mate. We're honoured to have you at the Academy. Any trouble and you'll be sent straight to me for punishment, understood?" Jim stared at the man. Way to make a happy first impression.

The fattest of the three stood. He wore an apron and bandana, so Jim assumed he was the cook. "I'm Hardy, I'll be the one putting the food on your plate. You don't want to cross me, now, do you?" The man laughed and clapped Jim's shoulder. He gave Hardy a long look too. It was as if they were... afraid of him, almost. What was going on?

The last man stood. He was thin and pointy. Everywhere. His fingers were bony, his hat was peaked, and his shoulder pads on his coat were even slightly triangular. He stuck out a scrawny hand. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Mr. Wentworth, the ship's navigator." He smiled at Jim and - guess what - his teeth were sharp. Jim suspiciously grasped his hand and shook it.

The tension was interrupted by a loud clamour behind them. Donna looked up quickly and called, "Sorry, men, just dropped the buckets." She kneeled to pick up the equipment scattered across the floor. Jim made to go help her, but she met his eyes and nodded towards the door. He nodded slowly and left, wondering what that whole scene had been about. Thinking back to Wentworth, he wondered if he should've left Donna there alone, but he decided that the Captain wasn't going to let anything bad happen. At least, Jim hoped. He shook his head. He was tired, and imagining things, and before he could do any more thinking that would probably lead him to do something he would regret, he went back to his cabin to sleep. It was ten hour, after all, and he figured now was as good a time as ever to start following the rules.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Donna threw the dishes into the wash pile and sat with the group of men in the galley. She was glad the boy wasn't there anymore, partially because he was starting to get on her nerves, but mostly because she didn't like what she had seen between him and Mr. Wentworth. The navigator hadn't been with them for long, but Donna had a growing suspicion that he wasn't good news. It wasn't only his eerie appearance that put her on edge; He also had a nasty habit of staring people down, as if analyzing their every action. Whether that just meant he was creepy or something more sinister, Donna didn't particularly care to find out. All that mattered was getting to the Academy in one piece, and then she would have the time and means to investigate to her heart's content. For now, however, her concerns consisted of chores and card games.

"Care to deal me in the next round, Uncle Rorey?" she asked, elbowing her uncle's arm.

Her uncle smiled down at her. "Sure, lass. Just go easy on us old men, alright?"

Donna smiled. "You know I won't."

"Oh-ho!" Mr. Yono chimed. "Looks like you've got a challenge there, Rorey!"

The captain smiled and took a swig out of his mug. "Looks like it. Mr. Wentworth, deal us out!"

Wentworth smiled (and the more Donna stared, the creepier it looked) and shuffled the cards. The next thing she knew, Donna had gotten her hand and was playing away, forgetting everything that had been bothering her just moments before.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Jim rose to a loud alarm blaring through the ship. He had no idea where it was coming from, but he knew he wanted it to stop. He heard a loud thump from below him, and looked over the edge of his bed to see Zack splayed out across the floor, a wool blanket tangled around his body. "I'm up," the mound on the floor mumbled.

Jim groaned. "What time is it?"

Zack struggled to lift his head, looked at the clock and answered, "Six."

Jim groaned and sunk back into his pillow. "Too early."

"Too bad," Zack answered, rolling over to his duffle bag. "If you're not there at roll call, you don't get breakfast."

That woke Jim up a little. He was not risking his chances of getting food. He was starving. He kicked off his blanket and swung his legs over the side, then oh-so-gracefully slid to the floor. He landed with a _thunk_ just inches from where Zack now sat, pulling on a clean shirt. "Jeez, don't kill me," he said, head popping out of the neck of the shirt.

"Sorry," Jim mumbled. He stood and grabbed his bag, then fumbled around for some clothes. He hadn't brought much, but he assumed it would last him to the Academy. After putting on some jeans and a ragged shirt, he ran a hand through his hair and followed Zack, who was already out the door.

They walked up onto the deck to find that they were some of the last ones to arrive. Jim couldn't figure out how anyone else had gotten there so quickly, or how hardly any looked like the living dead, as he surely did. God, he was tired. If there was anyway to go back to bed after breakfast, he was going.

"Hi Jim!" He heard from behind him. He and Zack both turned to see Wren waving, looking bright and chipper as if he never slept at all. Zack shot Jim a look that said, _Who__is__this__weirdo__and__how__does__he__know__your__name?_

Wren approached them and Jim decided that he would introduce then dump him on to Zack. "Zack, this is Wren. Met him yesterday. Wren, this is Zack, my cabinmate."

"Sup," Zack said, wary of Jim's sudden friendliness.

"Hey," Wren answered. Jim slid his foot backwards. All he needed was a good excuse, and then-

"ATTENTION! Fall in!" Mr. Yono shouted, perched on the deck like a statue. Jim turned to see everyone explode into action, running over and around each other. He leaped back to avoid being trampled by a large blue boy, then looked around in alarm, trying to find out where the danger was. He felt a hand grab his arm and drag him towards the mast, and looked over to see it was Zack.

"You gotta act quick, Jimmy," he shouted, dodging crowds of people in front of them.

"To what?" he yelled back, struggling to follow Zack's jerky twists. He ended up slamming into most of the people Zack was trying to avoid.

"Fall in," Zack answered. "It means line up."

They cut into the line that had formed in-between a black-haired boy and one with three arms. Mr. Yono strode down the line, checking their order on his list of names. Jim saw him whack a boy over the head that was shuffling around, and he did his best to stand still and straight after that. Yono passed down the line without much further trouble, save a few slouchers and whisperers. He arranged them into two lines, which required far too much energy for Jim (considering he was exhausted to begin with), but apparently it was "a right good standing."

"Now, boys," Yono said, neatly folding his list and putting it in his breast pocket. Jim was surprised no one was going blind with the brightness of his red coat. "Don't expect this voyage to be easy. We _will_test you. You _will_ fail sometimes. To some of you, this will be your wake-up call. To others this is an indication of what's to come. All that matters is that you remember why you're here." He moved his head and Jim swore he was speaking directly to him. "What got you here."

"Permission to speak, sir!" a voice called from the line.

"Granted," Yono answered.

"Will this voyage be counted as part of our formal training?" Jim rolled his eyes - clearly that kid had read the handbook.

"Yes," Yono answered, and then abruptly moved on. "Today we will assign your positions and watches. Over the course of the day we will customize your duties based on your abilities, then you will uphold your position until we reach the Interstellar Academy. Understood?"

"Yes sir," the crowed droned in reply. Jim translated Yono's speech in his mind, looking for possible problems. If you sucked at your job, they'd give you another. Sounded fair enough.

"Alright." Yono pulled another list out of a different jacket pocket and flamboyantly whipped it open. "Here are your positions. Gunners: Azley, Timothy. Zumerston, Wren. Hornferth, Zackary. Deineman, Thomas. Green, John." He continued, through the boatswains, cockswains, navigators (the unlucky apprentices of Mr. Wentworth, Jim noted), riggers, carpenters, and mates, until-

"Lookouts: Hawkins, James." He rolled up the parchment again and smiled at them.

"What?" Jim cried, "How - I'm the _only_lookout?"

Yono looked around angrily for the owner of the voice, but when he found Jim's face glowering from the second row he grinned cheerfully and answered, "We thought you were the one best suited for the job."

"Best suited to sit and do nothing? Sounds like Greenie!" someone muttered. Jim looked down the line to see Butterfingers sneering at him, his over-sized melon head sticking out from the wall of uniform bodies. Jim flipped him the bird and turned his attention back to Yono.

"Sir, I'm more capable than you think, really, I-"

"Hawkins, this is no easy task, as you will soon learn. You will also learn not to speak back to your superiors, am I understood?"

"Yes sir," Jim grumbled, then bit his cheek in frustration.

Yono winked and began pacing along the row of cadets. "_Hopefully,_ you know where you should be. Watch schedule will be posted at lunch hour. Fall out!"

"SIR!" Zack shouted over the roar of chatter that had erupted, "What about _breakfast_?"

"You'll receive all the food you need and lunch and dinner. Breakfast is not necessary," Yono barked. The look on Zack's face was priceless, and Jim started laughing before he remembered he was absolutely starving. He weaved his way through the crowd and punched Zack's shoulder.

"Liar," he said, and grinned when Zack turned around in alarm. "I'm hungry and I woke up for the behaviour speech."

He shrugged and answered, "Not my fault." There was a brief pause, and then - "Kay... bye." Zack abruptly turned and walked towards the other boatswains. Jim chuckled when Wren immediately started yammering to Zack, his mouth going a mile a minute. Then, he turned and began climbing up to the crow's nest.

He'd perfected the art of mast climbing back on the Legacy. It was a matter of judgment; pull higher on a rope or pole, or (if neither of those were available) jump and hope for the best. Jim loved the adrenaline rush he got when he jumped for a support out of reach, when he realized he could fall. Jim crouched down against yard he was on, tensed his legs, and leapt. He was in the air for maybe a split second, but it was long enough for him to feel his heart racing when he landed on the side of the crow's nest. He swung himself into the bucket and settled down into his microcosm. He decided it was wise to get comfortable; he was going to be there for a while.

Quite a long time passed, and absolutely nothing happened. Jim started out by watching the space scenery go by, but that quickly got boring when he realized the sky was all one colour. And the universe was warm. He proceeded to take off his jacket, then boots, then socks, and was seriously debating going shirtless until he thought about what would happen if a star spontaneously combusted right in front of them. Ouch. He was just nodding off to sleep when he heard a loud cry from below. He lurched over the side of the crow's nest, ready to yell flying curses at whoever had woken him up, but then, he noticed something was wrong. Down by the mast, someone had a boy by the neck. Suddenly he lifted him up and slammed him against the wood. Jim felt the impact even from that far up. Before he realized it, he was already climbing down the mast at top speed, despite being completely barefoot. He dropped down behind the commotion to see it was Wren who was against the mast, being held by none other than Butterfingers.

"Whaddayou think you're doing?" Jim said, keeping his voice as quiet as he could considering he was furious. He unconsciously rolled up his sleeves.

Butterfingers turned his head slightly, still holding Wren by the collar of his shirt. "Helping the freak out. You?"

"Put him down. _Now._" Jim said, struggling to maintain calm. He balled his hands into fists when he accidentally looked over at Wren's terrified face. The boy might've been older than many of them, but he certainly didn't show it.

"Gimme a sec, Greenie. I'm doing him a favour, you'll see." Butterfingers turned back towards Wren, and that was when Jim grabbed his shoulder and wrenched him around. Wren dropped to the ground and scuttled backwards, away from the person who had just tortured him. Butterfingers grinned and said, "Hey now, Greenie got something wrong?"

"Yeah. You," Jim replied.

Butterfingers narrowed his eyes and shoved Jim's hand off of his shoulder. "That makes two of us. You got no business with what goes on between me and the freak, so you better just butt out, all right? The kid needs to toughen up some."

Jim took a step forward, putting them face-to-face. "You sick pig."

"Oh ho! Says the one who was the on macking on the scrawny little girl-servant first chance he got!"

So then Jim punched him. Butterfingers' hand flew to his face, and it came back down bloody, most likely from the steady stream his nose was giving. He wiped his face on his sleeve and punched Jim back, hitting him in the stomach. The wind flew out of his lungs, and he received a few more punches before Jim recovered and was able to move again. He ducked the next hit and jabbed Butterfingers in the stomach, to which he answered with kicking Jim's jaw. He flew backwards and landed hard on the deck, then spit blood out beside him. Butterfingers walked calmly, slowly, over to him, and just as he started kicking away like some wild animal, Jim jumped up and hand him by the neck. He dragged them both to the ground, and he was just about to avenge his throbbing jaw when they heard a loud, "ORDER!"

Jim looked up to see Yono looming above them, his shadow blocking out a great deal of light. The look on his face was different from the pompous, pretentious ones he'd worn before, and was so furious that Jim actually let go. He fell back onto his hands, and Butterfingers roll-crawled to a stand. He moved over to beside Yono, looking at Jim with a look that said _I__want__to__kill__you__more__than__I__have__anything__else__in__my__entire__life__which__is__probably__a__lot__of__things__because__I__'__m__a__disgusting__maggot._

"You two - that is no way respectable young men should act! Brawling like... like _pirates!_I'm just-just... who was the first to throw a blow?" He demanded, looking back and forth between the boy beside him and the boy on the ground. Butterfingers wiped his nose on his sleeve once more, which was still steadily dripping blood. Jim tasted a boatload of blood in his mouth, but wasn't about to go make a show of spitting it out. Yono waited a few seconds more, then addressed the crowd gathered around. "Boys. Which one was it?"

The boy Jim was pretty sure was named Timothy spoke up. "It... It was that one sir." He pointed to Jim slowly, giving him a look of apology as he did so. Jim held his gaze and spit his blood at his feet. Okay, maybe he was prepared to make small show of it.

"Very good, lad," Yono said, nodding once to Timothy. He pushed Butterfingers off towards the quarterdeck, muttering, "See the cabingirl, she'll fix you up." He gave Jim a long stare before he dragged him up off the ground by his forearm.

"Wait, sir, that's not fair," a voice from behind shouted. Jim looked back to see it was Wren. "It wasn't Jim's fault, he was just-"

"Enough!" Yono cut in. "The cause doesn't matter. I'm concerned with the results." Jim shook his head at Wren and reluctantly followed Yono into the stateroom.

Yono sat him down on a bench and then went about closing the windows and doors leading out of the room. Jim's heart started thudding wildly as he wondered why he was so carefully securing the exits. Jim stuck of his chin defiantly and Yono began pacing about in front of him. The room was uncomfortably dark. "Hawkins, I'm not... your punishment would typically be cabin chores until we reach the Academy. Swabbing, cooking, that sort of thing," Yono said, seemingly taking extra care to keep his voice down. He paused and stood in front of Jim.

"But?" Jim asked, sensing the word somewhere in that sentence.

"But..." Yono continued, stretching the word out dramatically, "Well, I'm not sure how to put this. You seem to have ... quite a _reputation_ among us men of fortune." He gave Jim a meaningful look.

And then it clicked for Jim. All of the men in the galley, their fear of him, his special placement as a lookout... all they wanted was his money. They thought he'd succeeded in raiding Treasure Planet. He snorted with laughter. "Do I, now?" Jim leaned back against the wall, putting his hands behind his head like he hadn't a care in the world.

Yono smiled nervously. "Yes you do, lad. You know what I'm referring to, don't you? You're a smart boy." He paused, thinking Jim would want to say something, but he decided to let Yono do the talking. He cleared his throat and continued. "Your punishment would be... dreadfully unpleasant, I would imagine, for someone so strong and clever, for a man capable of so much more... I _could,_maybe, convince the other men aboard to ease up on you a little, if, maybe, I had some form of ... payment?" Yono seemed suddenly a different man entirely; nervous, jittery, ringing his hands together like his life depended on it. Jim smiled, realizing the man was totally playing him for a fool.

"Would you, sir? And why would I ever do that?" Jim asked.

Yono frowned slightly. "Mr. Hawkins, I can assure you life as a cabinboy aboard this ship would be very displeasing for-for a student of your caliber. Y-you don't want to waste your precious time scrubbing away at pots and pans, do you? That's mere women's work, not fit for such an ... upstanding young gentleman such as yourself."

Jim shook his head and leaned forward onto his knees. "You have got to be kidding me. I spent the last six months as a cabinboy."

"Which is surely not how you want to spend the next eight."

"It's gonna take eight months to get there? Wow," Jim said, faking a pleasant conversation. "That's a lot of dishes to do."

A light appeared in Yono's eyes. "Yes yes, a great deal!"

Jim rubbed his hands together. "And a lot of hours of swabbing the deck..."

"Yes, yes, very many."

Jim gave Yono a taunting glare. "Guess I'd better get started."

Yono looked shocked; it was hilarious. "What? But- But Mr. Hawkins, this could all just be avoided if-"

"If I bribe you? Let me tell you something, Yono, I would rather spend the rest of my life scrubbing dishes then buy my way out of something." He stood abruptly and made for the door, hoping Yono would be too stunned to do anything about it.

Unfortunately, he was not. Jim felt a hand grab his shoulder and grip it almost painfully. "Listen, boy, this isn't up for debate."

Jim shrugged. "It's my money." Not that he had any of it left, but... still.

"You- you insufferable little-" Jim shoved the man's hand off of his arm before he said anything else.

"Tell Hardy I'll be down to help him tonight at 5 hour," Jim called over his shoulder.

Yono let out a shrill, crazy laugh. "Oh, it's not Hardy you'll be helping," he called. "It's Donna."


	5. Chapter 5

Jim was actually a little anxious to see what the girl would have in store for him that evening, although he would never admit it. He was expecting a massive pile of dishes, or perhaps all of her laundry from the past month. Jim cringed; he didn't think he'd be able to handle washing a girl's clothes. He prayed it was only the dishes waiting for him in the galley.

However, when he got there, he found that there was _nothing_ waiting for him in the galley. Not even Donna. He walked over to the counter, looking around the large room as he did so. It was five hour, where was she?

Jim nearly leapt out of his skin when he heard, "You don't seem to have a bad right arm, Hawkins," from behind him. He whipped around just in time to see a blur drop down from the ceiling mere inches from where he was standing. Donna's face popped up before his, and then he really did jump. He staggered back a step or two and watched as Donna's friendly smile morphed into a laugh. "Didn't scare you, did I?"

"No," Jim snapped back, slightly annoyed with her for scaring the starblazes out of him. "And what do you mean about my right arm?"

Donna chuckled quietly and walked over to the counter behind him. "John came to see me with his face as bloody as a heart attack. He wouldn't tell me what happened, but I said I wouldn't fix him until he told me, so then he said it was _you _who threw the punch that nearly broke his nose." She bent to reach the lower cupboard and Jim looked down over her.

"Serves him right," Jim muttered, leaning over to see what she was reaching for. And his name was John? Huh. Didn't sound at all like "Butterfingers".

She shot back up and nearly smacked straight into him, but he jerked back quick enough to avoid a collision. "He wouldn't tell me why you punched him though, and I couldn't blackmail him into it because Yono came down. I want the dirt on this. So..." She trailed off and hopped up onto the counter, waving a mop and bucket around lazily. "Do tell."

Jim took a moment to decide how to tell his story. Then, coming upon a conclusion, he stuck a cocky grin on his face and shrugged. "Well, I-"

Donna stuck a you've-got-to-be-kidding-me expression on her face. "Cut the crap, Hawkins, I know you took some punches too."

"Says who?"

"Says your bruised jaw, that's who."

Jim rubbed his jaw absentmindedly, which _was _sore now that he thought about it. "Look, do you want gossip for your little school friends or not?"

Donna snorted. "No little school friends for me. Can't have those if you don't go to school."

Jim became very confused. Donna _wasn't _going to the Academy? Then how did she end up on this boat? "What d'you mean?"

She gave him a confused frown, then her eyes widened in realization and she burst out into bitter laughter. "You didn't think little old _me _was going to the prestigious Interstellar Academy, did you?" She shook her head and stared at the ground, a scowl taking over her face.

He gave her the same are-you-kidding-me look. "You're on the boat headed there, genius. What's your story?"

She handed Jim the mop and bucket, then hopped off of the counter. "I'm here 'cause the Captain's my uncle," she said, then turned and climbed up the stairs onto the deck.

Jim followed her, a curious interest suddenly grabbing a hold of him. He was greeted by the rush of cool air when he stepped up onto the deck. The sky was just fading to purple from the brilliant blue it had been all day, and the temperature was changing with it. "And... that puts you here because...?"

She went about lighting the lanterns around the deck. It was only after a long pause and the fire on the match was nipping at her fingertips did she answer. "My parents are... rather out of commission, right now." She gave him a grim smile and flicked the match out into the galaxy. She grabbed at her ponytail and looked around.

Jim let out a half-laugh. "That bad, huh?"

Donna looked up at him, the fire making shadows flicker across her face. "No, it's not... they died when I was seven." She was aiming for non-chalant, but failed miserably. Upon realizing this, she lunged for Jim's bucket and took it over to a pump. Jim thought she was walking a little too briskly and really hoped he hadn't offended her too much, or hit a nerve too hard. Gathering up is courage, he picked up his mop and jogged after her, kneeling down beside her as she filled up the bucket.

"I'm sorry," he said awkwardly. He wasn't sure there was too much more to say, although he was dying of curiosity. So had she spent her whole life in space? Did she sail? Or was she just a cabingirl?

"It's no big deal, I'm doing just fine," she answered abruptly. Jim furrowed his brow when he realized he'd said the exact same thing once. Did he sound so hurt when he'd said that to Silver? Surely he'd pulled it off better. He could lie, after all, and his dad leaving wasn't really that big of a deal, so yes, he'd definitely sounded more casual when that phrase had come out of _his _mouth. Or so he hoped.

He cleared his throat, stalling for time to think of what to say. "If it helps, my dad left when I was nine, so..." He cursed at himself inwardly. He somehow doubted Donna would really care about his "troubled childhood" story. It would probably just make her hate him more, and set her off on a rant about how his struggles didn't really measure up to hers, which wasn't really fair when he thought about it, because they were kind of in the same boat. Not literally, even though the were, but because of who they'd lost, and-

Jim's mental panicking was interrupted when he heard Donna murmur a small, "I'm sorry."

He stared at her in shock. Well, that was different. "What do you want me to swab?" he asked quickly, standing up. He hoped that the sudden change of topic would cure Donna's sudden shyness. He made a mental note not to talk about her past again. Unless it was about that Pygmy Rex, because he was sure that that would amount to an interesting story.

Jim saw Donna physically move away from the topic of her parents. She stood up and put her hands on her hips, looking around like she was evaluating the state of the deck. She nodded once, and told him, "Do it all. Yono's going to want it spotless, anyway, so it's better to get it done now."

Jim rolled his eyes. "What's his deal, anyway? He seems like a pain in the-" he cut off when Donna raised an eyebrow at him.

She shrugged. "He's the first mate. There's always something wrong with them, haven't you noticed?" Jim nodded, afraid to tell her that this was only his second real voyage. God, he could just imagine the insults that would come with that one.

After wetting his mop, he began vigorously cleaning the deck. Donna watched a for a moment, until he asked, "Don't you have work to do? Or are you just going to dump it all onto me?" She pushed him playfully and hopped off of the barrel she was sitting on.

"I'm just making sure you do it right, that's all."

"I think you're just admiring me from afar."

"Oh, of course, Hawkins. That lovely spacesick body of yours."

"If you keep turning that on me, I'll never pick up another mop again."

"Alright, alright. Meet me in the galley when you're done." Before he could even answer, she jogged off into the shadows and presumably into the galley. Jim watched her leave and then continued scrubbing.

Jim scrubbed. And scrubbed. And scrubbed. And scrubbed. And wrung out the mop. And scrubbed. And scrubbed. And dumped the bucket of dirty, soapy water over into the galaxy. And scrubbed once more, just for good measure. At last, when the deck was practically gleaming, he took his bucket and mop and venture down into the galley, which was nearly pitch black.

He found Donna asleep against the counter, still nearly standing. He chuckled, and walked over to her. With his other hand still occupied by the cleaning supplies, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to her feet as gently as he could manage. She woke with a start and jerked herself out of his arm immediately. She rubbed her eyes in a rush and adjusted her ponytail. "The deck's done?" she asked, her voice sounding surprisingly alert.

Jim nodded. "Gleaming like a whistle." He threw the mop and bucket in the general corner they were supposed to be in and hopped up onto the counter. "Anything else to be done, boss?" he asked, only a partially sarcastic.

Donna decided to let it slide. She looked around quickly, noticed it was nearly midnight, and answered, "No, it's probably about time you go to sleep. Otherwise you'll barely be standing tomorrow." When Jim tried to protest, she shooed him away by literally shoving him towards the stairs. He gave her a lopsided grin and headed off to bed.

As he changed in to nightclothes and tried to at least make an attempt at maintaining hygiene, he wondered vaguely if Donna expected much from her future. If she had anyone who believed in her as much as Silver believed in him. Because, he decided, someone definitely should.


	6. Chapter 6

The next few weeks passed quickly for Donna. With Jim helping her, her workload was done in half the time. She had so much spare time she wasn't quite sure what to do with it. She taught a few classes, when she could, but Yono seemed to think that a girl wasn't fit to teach and let her direct only the simplest of classes, mostly to please the captain. She acted as lookout, occasionally, to give Mr. Zimmer a break. She read the only book she could find on the ship; it wasn't very interesting. Mostly, she just talked to Jim, when he didn't have classes or watch.

"It's perfect weather for a board right now," Jim whispered, almost longingly. The scarlet glow of the sky hit his face square on, Donna noticed as she looked at him. They were perched rather precariously on the topmast, but the thought that they could fall to their deaths had crossed neither of their minds. Jim and Donna were only interested in how, from way up here, the stars looked even closer and the sky looked even brighter and the universe looked even more endless.

"A board?" Donna asked,

Jim tore his gaze away from the omnipresent horizon and glanced at her. "Solar surfing."

She shook her head. "Never tried it."

Jim's jaw dropped and Donna felt suddenly self-conscious. "You've never been solar surfing?" he shouted incredulously.

She frowned and snapped, "So what if I haven't?"

Jim chuckled. "Calm down, nessie, I only meant I was surprised you hadn't."

Donna was always astonished at how she could never really be tough around Jim anymore. He always laughed at her in that low, breathy sort of way and told her to cut it out. And she always did. "What's it like?" she asked softly, not really meaning to say it out loud.

The biggest grin appeared on Jim's face. "Oh, it's amazing. Especially - when you get high enough, you turn off your board and just let yourself free fall... just before you hit the ground, swing back up again - oh man, it's the best."

He turned his head to look at her, and dropped the goofy smile when he saw her barely-restrained laughter. "You'll have to teach me sometime," she said, completely sincere. How different could it be from sailing, really? Just a smaller ship and less room for error and higher stakes. Sounded like a challenge.

"Hey, laugh all you want, but when the time comes that I get to teach you, you won't be laughing so hard." He gave her a playful shove of the shoulder, and then she really did laugh.

"Oh we'll see about that. Who's gonna be laughing when I show you up at your own sport, huh?"

He scoffed. "Oh please, like _you _could ever show me up at anything."

"Wanna bet?"

"Oh, you're on."

"Race you to the bottom!" With that, she leapt down from the mast to grab hold of the rope dangling below. She started rapidly scaling down the mast, and she was several feet down before Jim could even react. He was determined not to be beaten though, and jumped down onto the rope as well. He could climb much quicker than she could, but with her head start, Donna was still ahead. She was about to drop to the ground when Jim beat her to it - and she watched in shock as the brown-grey blur whizzed past her. Jim looked up at her from the deck with a cocky grin, and Donna started laughing. She didn't think anyone could climb faster than she could; apparently, she was wrong.

She jumped down from the ropes just in time to her "You two! Whaddya think you're doing?"

They both looked over in alarm as Yono came rushing across the deck, stomping and marching theatrically. "Don't think I didn't see that! You could get yourself _killed, _did you know that? Or did you just not care? Because no one who knew the risk would do something as _stupid _as going willy nilly down a mast like that! And at that _speed? _Get back to work, the both of you, before the Captain hears about this!"

Both of them weren't fazed by Yono's screamfest, and nodded half-heartedly. They grabbed some mops and swabbed the deck in silence until Yono finally went away. As soon as he was out of earshot, they looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Their fit lasted about ten minutes, and ended with both of them on the ground in tears. The grinned at each other, and Jim asked, "Does he know that we're done our chores?"

And then they laughed some more.


	7. Chapter 7 (sort of)

TheHallow has taken on the wonderful job of finishing this story for me, in her own brilliant way of course. Go read her story for the finished copy!

My ending to the story is as follows, and will most likely deviate from whatever TheHallow has planned, but just in case I should warn you:

SPOILERS BELOW.

Ok, if I suddenly get the desire to finish this story then I will, but I'm just going to summarize what I had in mind for it just so you're not left completely hanging, ok?

Some important backstory: Donna and Jim have a moment of feelings, but not quite anything weirdly out of character lovey dovey, Jim tells wren about BEN. that is all now back to the story:

So their ship gets boarded by pirates one day because Jim isn't paying attention (cue guilt trope here)

and it turns out that it was Yono who was collaborating to bring them here, and that Wentworth used to be a pirate with whatever crew had just boarded and he sort of suspected what Yono was up to and had been trying to stop him the whole time (think Quirrel and Snape)

and the first mate of the pirates comes out and is like "we have word there's a jim hawkins on this ship"

and Jim's a bit confused and scared and also sort of hopeful that it's Silver, so he admits that he is indeed Jim Hawkins

and the first mate takes him to the captain's office, which they have commandeered-

it's going to be silver, right?

Jim thinks it's silver

he wonders what silver wants

he starts to get more excited to see him then scared

they open the door

And it's his father sitting there waiting for him, not silver.

(plot twist i know right)

so now for the super condensed ending:

they pillage the ship and take Jim and Donna aboard (only because she absolutely refuses to be left behind in a very feisty show of bravery)

and they leave the others on board, but without any way to contact the academy and likely not enough food to complete the voyage there

and set sail in the direction they think Treasure Planet still lies.

Jim explains the whole situation to Donna and they have a nice bonding session while y know being locked up always fun (she pulls some more spunky-love=interest-with-a-sensitive-loving-side stuff)

and then they proceed to lie through their teeth, and we jump back and forth between jim's perspective of imminent danger (his father keeps trying to befriend him again and he has to keep suppressing his anger and act like he really wants to join his crew) , Donna's perspective of imminent danger (trying to break free most of the time, and working out strategies for how to get off the boat and fending of creepy lustuous pirates) and Zack's perspective of imminent danger (from aboard the ship).

low and behold we reach our climax where jim's father the captain finally realizes that he has been lied to, donna actually breaks out of the prison and Zack passes out from exhaustion and hunger - everyone is about to die oh no what a catastrophe there's some sword fighting and angry yelling and running - and then out of the blue wren appears in this tiny little boat with weapons and BEN (who has been sending out distress signals for days on end, surely one of them is bound to have been noticed)

and then there's even MORE fighting while they escape on to the boat, donna pushes jim's father overboard, and then they all escape only to sail away for a day or two to be picked up by a rescue ship yay happy ending.

we fast forward about a month and wren is being awarded for bravery, zack is doing okay but hospitalized along with everyone else who was aboard the original ship, donna and jim have this nice little flirtationship going on and she has got a job at the academy (soon she'll be attending it as the first female ever and on "scholarship" alone) and everything is going swell for jim, despite the fact that half his class thinks he's now a pirate.

yay everyone's happy and jim resolved his daddy issues the end.


End file.
